1955 — Nov 29, USAF F-84 (1) takeoff malfunction into base housing/13, Eielson AFB, AK–14

–14 Blanchard estimate based on listing of named fatalities pulled from sources below.

— 15 Baugher. 1952 USAF Serial Numbers. 10-29-2011 rev.
— 15 Explorenorth.com. “Eielson Air Force Base History: Significant People and Events.”
–10-15 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Eye Witness Estimates Ten…Killed…” 11-29-1955.
— 14 Daily Sitka Sentinel (AK). “Death Toll…14…Jet Crashes Into Dwellings,” 11-30-1955.
— 14 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Another Crash Victim Dies…” 12-2-1955, pp. 1-2.
— 14 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Doomed Pilot ‘Fought’ Controls.” 12-1-1955, p.1.
— 1 F-84 pilot
–12 Base housing family members at the time.
— 1 Base housing victim died of injuries Nov 31.
— 14 NFPA. “Summary of Large Loss Aircraft Fires.” Quarterly, V.49, N.4, Apr 1956, p.394.
— 14 TheMilitaryStandard.com. “Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.”
— 13 Aviation Safety Network. “ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226492.”

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network:
“Date: 29-Nov-1955
“Time: c.12:30
“Type: Republic F-84F Thunderjet [BWB: Thunderstreak]
“Owner/operator: United States Air Force (USAF)
“Registration: 52-6884
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
“Other fatalities: 12
….
“Location: Eielson AFB, AK
“Phase: Take off
“Nature: Military
“….”

Baugher: “Republic F-84F-50-RE Thunderstreak….6884 veered off runway on takeoff and crashed into houses near Eielson AFB, Alaska Nov 29, 1955. Pilot and 14 on ground killed. Another 7 severely burned.” (Baugher. 1952 USAF Serial Numbers. 10-29-2011 rev.)

Explorenorth.com: “Nov. 29, 1955 – A stricken F-84 slammed into Eielson family housing, killing 15. Seven of the victims were children, including the first triplets known to be born in the Fairbanks area.”

TheMilitaryStandard.com: “November 29, 1955 – An F-84 crashed into Eielson family housing, killing fourteen. Seven of the victims were children, including the first triplet’s known to be born in the Fairbanks area. Forty years later, the base dedicated its new Child Development Center to the children.”

Newspapers — Chronological

Nov 29: “An F-84 jet fighter plane taking off from Eielson Air Force Base suddenly veered from the runway and smashed into buildings of the base housing area. The jet plane smashed completely through one eight-family dwelling unit completely demolishing it. Then shattered and flaming portions of the jet scattered on four other eight-family units turning them into flames.

“Major John Orr, Eielson public information officer, said that no estimate of the death toll could immediately be made. He said the tragedy occurred shortly after 12:30 when children of the families in the buildings were home from school for lunch. He said he had hopes that not more than fifteen people were killed or injured but he couldn’t say. He said the pilot of the jet most certainly was killed. He said firemen are still battling flames and have not even yet managed to break into two of the buildings which are aflame.

“Virtually nothing remains of the building through which the jet crashed. He said the pilot apparently suffered control failure and veered off the runway. The pilot tried desperately to avoid the houses but he could not gain altitude. He plunged right through one unit.

“There are three amphibian planes and one helicopter shuttling between Ladd Field hospital and Eielson. The hospital at Ladd Field has been told to prepare for “about 30 injured.” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Jet Crashes on Eielson Homes.” 11-29-1955, p. 1.)

Nov 29: “An eye witness to the crash of a jet fighter plane in the housing area of Eielson Air Force Base said today that he estimates about ten or fifteen people have been killed and possibly twice that many injured or burned. Fred A. Sorri, a civilian plumber who had just finished an installation in one of the shattered buildings said the jet fighter plane actually bounced off the roof of two buildings setting them aflame before it plunged right through one structure. ‘The plane literally knocked four apartments right out of that building.’ He said. ‘There are bath tubs and plumbing fixtures resting a half block away with the ruins of the jet aircraft.’ He said yesterday he was in one of the apartments to repair the plumbing. There was a woman and her three daughters in the apartment making a rug with an electric sewing machine. He said after the crash he found the sewing machine about 400 feet from the building. Sorri said he saw parts of human bodies mixed with the debris on the ground around the wreckage. ‘There must have been, ten or fifteen women or children in that demolished building. That’s what I figure and I have been in every apartment in the building. It was lunch time and most of the kids were home from school.’

“Sorri said there are flaming buildings and flaming pieces of debris scattered over an area of about two city blocks. He said the building that was pierced was building Number 726. He said the flames eventually spread to six eight-family units in all. The units on fire are 725, 726, 727, 729, 730. Sorri, a lifelong resident of Fairbanks, is employed by the Gull Plumbing and Heating Company.

“Another eye-witness, Miss Pamela Harris, said she saw flames envelope a group of school children walking home from school and one woman in a car. She said she was certain eleven people were killed at least.” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Eye Witness Estimates Ten Were Killed…” 11-29-1955, p. 1.)

Nov 30: “Fairbanks (AP) — An air force jet fighter plane veering like a bird with a crippled wing, spewed death and horror and fire yesterday through half a dozen eight-family housing units at Eielson Air Force Base. Even today nearly 24 hours after the disaster at the base 26 miles southeast of here on the Alaska highway, there was no exact figure on the casualties.

“An air force spokesman announced 14 were known dead. There possibly were two others. Ice-covered debris and wreckage was being combed in the grim hunt. Many of the victims were women and children home for the lunch hour. Eight of more were injured severely in the crash or ensuing fire. One was described as critical. Dozens of others suffered varying degrees of frostbite from their desperate fight against flames that leaped and danced for four hours in 16 below zero cold.

“One poignant note in the overall tragedy — the worst even to hit one of Alaska’s big air bases — was the death of the 11-month-old triplet sons of a sergeant. Most of the victims were members of the families of military personnel who lived in the new and modern housing units at the base.
The triples were the sons of Sgt. and Mrs. William Fimple, formerly of Ellwood City, Pa.
An officer who lived in one of the houses adjacent to the scene of destruction told of finding Fimple kneeling in debris, burned and with his shirt blown off. His arms enfolded his other two small children, and he was shouting, ‘My other boys! My other boys!’ The mother was standing beside a flaming building with her screams nearly drowned in the roar and the confusion. Both parents were burned seriously….

“Witnesses said…[the] plane veered at almost a 90-degree angle as it left the runway. It limped along at low altitude unable to climb, then crashed into the homes about a quarter of a mile away.
One witness…described it graphically:

“The plane bounced on one building, throwing it all into flames. Then it bounced on another and a wing flew off. The it ripped down a high tension power line. From there it smashed right through an apartment house and scattered everywhere.”

“The tragedy struck shortly after 12:30 p.m. while many children were home from school….The apartment house that took the full impact was demolished. The dead triplets were in a front room of that building. The burning gasoline tanks of the plane spewed gasoline over five others and set infernos raging. Parts of the wreckage were scattered from the buildings. The flames and confusion were increased, some witnesses said, by bursting oil tanks scattered from the buildings….

”A total of 500 or 600 volunteers were fighting the wildly spreading flames as soon as they could reach the scene. Fire units rushed over the more than 20 miles of ice-covered highway from Ladd Air Force Base, on the outskirts of Fairbanks to join in the fight. Aircraft set up a shuttle service to take the burned and crippled to the Ladd Hospital….

”Eielson is one of Alaska’s major air force bases. It has 12,000 foot long runways. They were built to handle the nation’s biggest bombers. Planes as big as B36s have operated from it. It is the base from which B29s have been flying for several years on over-the-pole weather observation flights. It lies in a vast, almost flat hinterland of the interior, where no mountain rises for 100 miles in any direction.

“Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Bruckner stopped at Eielson AFB yesterday to view the crash scene. In a meeting with a group of men and women who lived in the disaster area….
Prior to leaving Bruckner told the small group, “Buck up. Better days lie ahead for all of you”.” (Daily Sitka Sentinel (AK). “Death Toll Reaches 14…Jet Crashes Into Dwellings,” 11-30-1955.)

Dec 1, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: “The last few seconds of Lieut. Alfred M. Pounders’ life apparently was spent in a desperate and futile attempt to keep his plane from plunging into an Eielson air force base housing area. The Monticello, Miss., pilot of an F-84 jet fighter plane failed and he and 12 other persons died Tuesday noon in the flaming wreckage of his plane and six multiple-family houses on the air base. A fourteenth victim succumbed to burns yesterday.

“The story of the pilot’s heroic struggle came first from an unidentified air force sergeant who reported he was strolling by base headquarters when we was surprised by the jet roaring overhead, its wing dipped almost to the ground. ‘I could plainly see the pilot in the cockpit,’ the sergeant said. ‘He was real busy, struggling with the controls. He was trying to avoid buildings, it looked to me.’

“The sergeant’s report brought up the possibility that the pilot was helpless because the jet had developed a failure of its controls. Investigators believed the pilot was making a desperate attempt to bring the jet down in an open area, because he was headed in the general direction of a cleared space and missed it only by yards.

“An Eielson control tower operator described how the plane veered off to the right on a routine takeoff, narrowly missing both the tower and the mail hangar. ‘We were looking right down at him.’ A/1c Vernon Boatwright said.

“An air force medic, S/Sgt. Thomas A. Beauch, was heading for lunch when he spotted the crash. He ran into the 5010th USAF infirmary and alerted the ambulance crews. They arrived at the site moments after the plane rumbled to a stop.

“A/2c Albert Lockwood, also on duty in the control tower, had notified the fire department, and trucks were rolling seconds after the plane had begun its erratic course.

“The F-84F was visiting aircraft from a stateside base.

“Officials at Ladd air force base, 20 miles away, immediately dispatched three fire trucks and air police crews to assist in the operation, while the 74th Air Rescue squadron opened up an emergency evacuation plan, headed by Lt. Col. Earl T. Reichert, squadron commander.

“Three amphibian aircraft and a helicopter were operating between Eielson and the 5001st USAF hospital at Ladd within a half hour.

“Col. Ray J. Will, Eielson base commander, who directed the entire rescue operation, said 75 men had been treated for minor exposure, two for smoke inhalation, 18 for severe cuts and bruises, and 10 for serious exposure to the cold – 24 below zero at the time of the accident.

“Volunteers from throughout the base began arriving immediately after the accident, ready to replace any of the regular fire, medical, or disaster crews on duty. The Officers Wives club at Ladd joined the Eielson club in wholesale donation of clothing and food to the victims.

“Base housing officials began an immediate check of the housing area to determine how many were missing, injured and dead. They also made arrangements to house the burned out families. An appeal for housing brought a flood of calls from both Ladd and Eielson families. A base disaster committee, set up just one month ago, went to work Tuesday afternoon gathering food, clothing and basic necessities for the victims. The committee includes Air Force Aid society, chaplains, the Red Cross, the Officers Wives club, the NCO Wives club and civilian personnel. Chet Bruce, Red Cross field director, said his organization had declared the tragedy a disaster area.

“Officers joined in with shovels and building evacuation beside volunteer airmen and soldiers. One of the group included Brig. Gen. John F. Ruggles, commanded of the Yukon command.” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Doomed Pilot ‘Fought’ Controls. Plane Was so Low Witness Saw Pilot Fighting Controls.” 12-1-1955, p.1.)

Dec 2, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK: “Mrs. Juanita M. Jones, one of the injured in Tuesday’s crash of a jet-fighter plane into housing units at Eielson Air Force Base, died lat night at Ladd Air Force Base hospital. Her name was released by the Army’s Yukon Command headquarters, along with those of other Army casualties in the tragedy. Mrs. Jones, from Eubank, Ky., leaves her husband, Sp. 2/c Harris A Jones, and daughter, Connie G. Jones, 2, among the injured.

“Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker stopped at Eielson AFB yesterday to view the crash scene. In a meeting with a group of men and women who lived in the disaster area, he said: ‘I can’t understand how you all got out alive. Providence must have spared you.’ The secretary had requested this stop be made on his Alaskan tour so that he could see the scene and talk to the families. He also had visited the six injured persons from the disaster at the Ladd AFB Hospital….

“Catholic mass was to be celebrated at 4 o’clock this afternoon at the chapel for Donald, Dale and David Fimple, the triplet boys of Sgt. And Mrs. William J. Fimple, who died in the disaster.

“The Army casualty list released today follows:

M/Sgt. Marion K. Ellis; Lynn M. Ellis, 4; Debra Ellis, 2; Clark Ellis, 3. Sergeant Ellis was from Rt. 2. Osawatomi, Kas.
SFC Weldon M. Rucker, his wife, Hazel E. Rucker, and mother-in-law, Mrs. Emma B. McBrayer. Sergeant Rucker was from Route 2, Lorena, Tex.
Betty J. Williams, wife, and Niala M. Williams, 2, daughter of Sgt. Clifford B. Williams. They were from 5885 Hibiscus Road, Orlando, Fla.
Juanita M. Jones, Eubank, Tex., wife of Sp. 2/c Harris A. Jones.

Injured

Sp. 2/c Harris A. Jones and daughter, Connie G. Jones, 2.

“The names of the Fimple triplets and of the jet pilot, Lt. Alfred M. Pounders of Monticello, Miss., previously had been announced.” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Another Crash Victim Dies; Brucker Visits.” 12-2-1955, pp. 1-2.

Dec 4, Fairbanks Daily News Miner: “…the buildings struck by a jet fighter plane at Eielson air force base this week were considered to be among the safest on the base so far as this type of accident is concerned. These housing units were located one mile from the center of the airstrip, at right angles to the strip itself. Not unless a plane turned a 90 degree angle from the strip on takeoff and flew for one mile in that direction could it endanger these housing units. And, that is exactly what happened this week.” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “On The Inside.” 12-3-1955, p. 4., col. 8.)

Fatalities Identified From Sources Above

1. M/Sgt. Marion K. Ellis, Rt. 2, Osawatomi, Kas.
2. Lynn M. Ellis, 4
3. Clark Ellis, 3
4. Debra Ellis, 2
5. Dale Fimple, triplet born Jan 12
6. David Fimple, triplet born Jan 12
7. Donald Fimple. Triplet born Jan 12
8. Mrs. Juanita M. Jones (died from injuries Dec 1.)
9. Mrs. Emma B. McBrayer, mother-in-law of SFC Rucker
10. Lieut. Alfred M. Pounders (pilot of the jet).
11. SFC Weldon M. Rucker, from Route 2, Lorena, Tex.
12. Hazel E. Rucker, wife of SFC Weldon M. Rucker
13. Betty J. Williams, wife of Sgt. Clifford B. Williams, Orlando, Fla.
14. Niala M. Williams, 2, daughter of Sgt. Clifford B. Williams.

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. “ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226492.” Accessed 4-6-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/226492

Baugher, Joseph F. 1952 USAF Serial Numbers. Oct 29, 2011 revision. Accessed 1-7-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1952.html

Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Death Toll Reaches 14 After Jet Crashes Into Dwellings at Eielson AFB Near Fairbanks,” 11-30-1955. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com

Explorenorth.com. “Eielson Air Force Base History: Significant People and Events.” Accessed 4-6-2023 at: https://explorenorth.com/library/history/bl-eielsonafb2.htm

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Another Crash Victim Dies; Brucker Visits.” 12-2-1955, pp. 1-2. Accessed 4-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-02-1955-p-1/

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Doomed Pilot ‘Fought’ Controls. Plane Was so Low Witness Saw Pilot Fighting Controls.” 12-1-1955, p.1. Accessed 4-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-01-1955-p-1/

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Eye Witness Estimates Ten Were Killed…” 11-29-1955, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=67418653

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Jet Crashes on Eielson Homes.” 11-29-1955, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=67418653

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “On The Inside.” 12-3-1955, p. 4., col. 8. Accessed 4-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-03-1955-p-4/

National Fire Protection Association. “Summary of Large Loss Aircraft Fires.” Quarterly of the NFPA, Vol. 49, No. 4, April 1956, p. 394.

TheMilitaryStandard.com. “Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.” Accessed 4-6-2023 at: http://www.themilitarystandard.com/afb/ak/eielson.php